Sherwood Art Week
Sherwood Art Week (SAW) is an annual week–long celebration of local creativity set in the heart of Sherwood organised by enthusiastic volunteers from the local community.
How Sherwood Art Week began.
SAW started life at The Place Activity Centre (TPAC). It developed from the weekend exhibitions showing the work of art group members. In 2008 the group talked about staging exhibitions for more than two days, but TPAC couldn’t host a longer event. So a week-long art festival involving different community venues and local businesses emerged.
Sue Staples (friend of TPAC) and Jane Gill (staff at TPAC) took the lead the first year supported by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. A Call for Artists was advertised and 40 people came to the first meeting in early 2009. New managers of The Robin Hood pub attended and offered to host a craft fair in their car park and give their professional experience in web design and digital marketing to produce publicity. The Council’s Neighbourhood Action Officer was in full support and agreed to publicise it free of charge in tandem with Sherwood Carnival on Woodthorpe Park. Central Television, local radio and The Guardian newspaper all helped to promote it and local businesses were impressed by the resulting increase in footfall.
That’s how it started…. The first festival was in the summer of 2009 and has continued ever since with art in shop windows, art exhibitions, Sherwood Young Artists, schools exhibitions, hands-on experiences, demonstrations, community projects, yarn bombing, craft fairs, art at home, art swaps, poetry nights, music pop-ups…. Every year is different!
How Sherwood Art Week began.
SAW started life at The Place Activity Centre (TPAC). It developed from the weekend exhibitions showing the work of art group members. In 2008 the group talked about staging exhibitions for more than two days, but TPAC couldn’t host a longer event. So a week-long art festival involving different community venues and local businesses emerged.
Sue Staples (friend of TPAC) and Jane Gill (staff at TPAC) took the lead the first year supported by an enthusiastic group of volunteers. A Call for Artists was advertised and 40 people came to the first meeting in early 2009. New managers of The Robin Hood pub attended and offered to host a craft fair in their car park and give their professional experience in web design and digital marketing to produce publicity. The Council’s Neighbourhood Action Officer was in full support and agreed to publicise it free of charge in tandem with Sherwood Carnival on Woodthorpe Park. Central Television, local radio and The Guardian newspaper all helped to promote it and local businesses were impressed by the resulting increase in footfall.
That’s how it started…. The first festival was in the summer of 2009 and has continued ever since with art in shop windows, art exhibitions, Sherwood Young Artists, schools exhibitions, hands-on experiences, demonstrations, community projects, yarn bombing, craft fairs, art at home, art swaps, poetry nights, music pop-ups…. Every year is different!
Brochures
Sherwood Art Week brochures have been designed by a number of volunteers over the years 2011 is missing as there was no brochure that year. Covid has claimed 2020, 2021 with a pared down 2022. We are looking forward to the new brochure design in 2023.
